Over 38 weekends since August 8, L'Equipe's "Les Français du week-end" series meticulously tracked the performances of French players across the globe, crafting a weekly ideal XI that captured the brilliance of Tricolores plying their trade away from Ligue 1. Now, with the season winding down, the French sports daily has unveiled its Team of the Year, a definitive selection that honors the most consistent and impactful performers over the entire campaign. The crowning of Jean Butez as the goalkeeper of the year ahead of established star Mike Maignan headlines a lineup that also showcases young magicians Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise, while Championship side Sunderland enjoys a celebratory presence in the dream team.
The duel between the posts was the tightest of any position. Butez, the 30-year-old custodian of Como, edged Maignan by a single selection—seven weekly appearances to Maignan's six. While the AC Milan shot-stopper boasts a world-class reputation, Butez's consistency and decisive contributions for his club proved impossible to ignore. In a Serie A campaign where every point mattered for newly promoted Como, Butez delivered 19 clean sheets and conceded only 29 goals in 38 matches, numbers that not only kept his side defensively resolute but also powered an improbable push toward the Champions League.
That achievement—Como's first-ever qualification for Europe's elite competition—lends historic weight to Butez's individual recognition. The goalkeeper, who previously tasted Champions League football with Royal Antwerp, played a fundamental role in transforming a modest provincial club into a continental contender. His shot-stopping reliability, command of the area, and calm distribution built the foundation from which Como's tactical setup thrived. In a season where Maignan battled injuries and occasional dips in form, Butez simply delivered week in, week out, earning the trust of his coaches and the admiration of neutral observers.
Yet the story of Butez's year is tinged with personal disappointment. Despite his standout displays, the Lille-born goalkeeper was overlooked by France national team coach Didier Deschamps for the World Cup and subsequent squads. For a player at 30, the international window narrows, but the Champions League stage now offers a powerful platform to demand attention. Butez's journey from the Belgian Pro League to Italian Serie A, and now to the Champions League, underscores a late-blooming career that deserves wider acclaim.
The full team of the year pours praise on a spectrum of French talent: Lyon's Rayan Cherki and Crystal Palace's Michael Olise are hailed as "magicians" for their inventive playmaking, while Championship side Sunderland finds cause for celebration with multiple representatives in the selection. The series, which scours the globe each week, reinforces how French footballers are shaping narratives in leagues from England to Italy and beyond.
L'Equipe's annual wrap-up serves as a barometer of the nation's footballing exports and its domestic brilliance. The weekly exercise of curating a best XI forces attention on under-the-radar performers—those who might escape the glare of Champions League highlights but whose contributions are vital. For Butez, the honor validates a career path less traveled, one defined by patience and peak performance at the right time. For Como, the recognition of their goalkeeper as the league's top French performer reinforces the club's remarkable rise.
Looking ahead, the challenge for Butez is to carry this form into the Champions League group stage, where facing Europe's heavyweights could finally open the door to the French national team. For Maignan, the narrow defeat may sting but also serves as a reminder that consistency across a full season is paramount. The French goalkeeper pipeline remains enviably deep, and this duel may well extend into next year's weekly series.
The inclusion of Cherki and Olise points to a generational shift, with younger creators taking center stage. Meanwhile, Sunderland's presence speaks to the growing influence of French players in the English second tier, a league increasingly scouted by top clubs. The "Français du week-end" concept, born from a desire to shine a light on all corners of the football world, culminates in an XI that blends romance with cold, hard statistics.
Based on reporting from L'Equipe.